Happy Memorial Day weekend!

I made this for my Dad, a WWII veteran who was in the Rainbow Division.  Freeing the survivors at the Dachau Concentration Camp was just one of the horrors he had to endure during the war.  Only in the past 5 years, has he been able speak about these things.  He became a member of a wonderful veterans group who meet for breakfast and lunch once a month and take trips together to different memorials.  I will be visiting my parents in June and can't wait to give this to him.  I hope he likes it. It's so appropriate for this weekend.

Plum Street Sampler - Freebie

French Vanilla RR Linen

Needlepoint Silks - I matched the red to the poppy then picked a blue and white

A couple weeks ago, our guild had a Saturday stitch in.  I love going to these and seeing all the wonderful pieces everyone has finished and all the ones currently being worked on.  Ann M., one of our members, gave a great talk on the needle books she stitches for her family.  After downsizing she ran out of all available wall space for samplers so she switched to needle books.  These are some of the ones she has completed.   Ellen's With My Needle has a post from May 15th if you are interested in seeing more photos.

These are some more pieces that members have completed.  They are so nice to see in person.  Samplers that you see in person look so much more impressive than the pictures on charts.  It gives you a better feel for what they would be like to stitch.  Inspiring too!



Thank you for your comments. I really do appreciate them.

Marsha

Engaged

I had a fantastic Mother's Day.  My middle son, Adam, celebrated his birthday and asked his lovely girlfriend to marry him.  We are thrilled. 


I

Marsha

Peony Hill

If Lily of the Valley is my favorite flower, Peonies run a very, very close second.  There is nothing like a vase full of peonies filling the house with their scent.  Lord have mercy, there is nothing like it.

Every year it's a toss up how they will do.  This year the rain has them all hanging their heads and they are blasting.  Meaning, they are blooming and shortly thereafter losing their petals.  It will be a brief peony season.

A year ago Martha Stewart had an article in her magazine 'Martha Stewart Living' on her peony beds at her Bedford home.  OMG.  Rows of the same peony strain planted double wide.  Row after row with hundreds and hundreds of peony bushes.  I can't imagine what that is like when they bloom.  A little piece of heaven I suspect.

I finished 'Peony Hill' in late fall so the timing wasn't right to show it off.  But now...
Here she is,

By the Bay needlework design on a stash piece of linen with DMC threads as charted.

The area behind the fence and in front of the house (lighter green color) called for all french knots. Oh 'hell' no.  I do like french knots and don't usually have a problem with them but I just couldn't face a big bunch of them.  My framer did an awesome job.  The frame has a green tone to it that matches perfectly.  Which, of course, you can't see in the photo.

Off to breath in that peony perfume.

Marsha

Happy Anniversary

36 years ago today, I gave my heart to Richard.

11 years ago on our 25th anniversary I planted this hosta call 'Silver Anniversary'.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It's huge.

 The cat mint is blooming among the catnip.

The chives are blooming.

I don't remember the name of this tiny plant but I love its tiny leaves and tiny pink flowers.

Hosta leaves are gorgeous in the spring when they first unfurl.

I love the way rain beads up on Lady's Mantle.

Buddy likes the garden too.  He's the only dog I've had that actually buries bone treats.  It cracks me up.

One of my most favorite flowers is almost done blooming.  Smells so heavenly, the Lily of the Valley.


Marsha